Narrative:

Flight was operated without any incident or irregularity until the gate arrival at ZZZ. Taxi instructions were to enter the ramp at spot xx; join the blue line; and taxi to gate xx.approaching gate xx; we saw that the ramp crew wasn't ready; so I stopped the aircraft on the blue line; set the parking brake; and waited. After a couple minutes; the ramp crew removed a baggage cart from the safety area; got into position (3 crew: 1 at each wing tip and the lead marshaller); and they all signaled a clear/thumbs up.we both surveyed the gate area and from my perspective; I believed it to be clear. I made the 90 degree turn from the blue line onto the center of the gate lead-in line. Again we had a clear signal from all ramp personnel; so I focused my attention on the marshaller; taxied as directed; and brought the jet into its parking spot. We set the brake; completed checklists; said goodbye to passengers and flight attendants; and headed off to our next flight.after arriving at our next jet; I was notified that during parking at gate xx; the lower left scimitar had made contact with a fuel truck.we returned to the original gate to meet with [chief pilot]. We completed drug and alcohol testing.[chief pilot] received a ramp video of the incident which we reviewed. We also walked back onto the ramp to look closer at the area.after seeing the incident video and walking around the ramp area; it became clear that the fuel truck was out of position and inside the safety zone. The red safety line in that area makes several turns; which had been blocked by the truck itself; and they are intermixed into various diagonal yellow lines. The proper configuration of the lines wasn't obvious to me as I turned the jet. That; combined with the all-clear signal from the wing walker led me into believing that all was clear and safe. We both thought that we were operating safely and taking care to navigate the dangerous ramp. We stopped and waited for the rampers to move a baggage cart; get into position and signal us to proceed forward to our parking spot. We both surveyed to gate area; and both believed it to be clear.I observed the parked fuel truck; but from my perspective I thought it to be clear of the safety area. The wing walker was near the truck and gave me the clear signal. At the time; I was apparently confused by all the yellow lines on the ground; and the red line with its turns and angles next to the truck. I certainly would have stopped the jet had I been in doubt or instructed by the ramp crew.I will double down on verifying that the gate area is safe and clear.even when you think a gate area is clear; it's not always.ramp and service vehicles are parked everywhere. The gate areas are very congested; and markings can be confusing and/or obscured. When a vehicle is parked within an aircraft's safety zone it would be helpful if there was an obvious signal either on the vehicle or in the area while the vehicle is there. This is especially true; when the intrusion is 'just too close'. While a truck on the center line is obvious; one just a few inches over the line is not. Maybe a traffic cone; tethered to the truck; which is placed in the safety zone?better training for ramp personnel; to include surveying the safety zone; closely examining anything that looks close; and looking at the wing tips and the area of movement.even though I believed my jet clear of any obstruction; it wasn't; and I take responsibility for that. I will continue to improve my diligence for safe operation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 flight crew reported a failure of the ground crew to ensure adequate wingtip clearance; resulting in a collision with a fuel truck.

Narrative: Flight was operated without any incident or irregularity until the gate arrival at ZZZ. Taxi instructions were to enter the ramp at spot XX; join the blue line; and taxi to Gate XX.Approaching Gate XX; we saw that the ramp crew wasn't ready; so I stopped the aircraft on the blue line; set the parking brake; and waited. After a couple minutes; the ramp crew removed a baggage cart from the safety area; got into position (3 crew: 1 at each wing tip and the lead marshaller); and they all signaled a clear/thumbs up.We both surveyed the gate area and from my perspective; I believed it to be clear. I made the 90 degree turn from the blue line onto the center of the gate lead-in line. Again we had a clear signal from all ramp personnel; so I focused my attention on the marshaller; taxied as directed; and brought the jet into its parking spot. We set the brake; completed checklists; said goodbye to passengers and flight attendants; and headed off to our next flight.After arriving at our next jet; I was notified that during parking at Gate XX; the lower left scimitar had made contact with a fuel truck.We returned to the original gate to meet with [Chief Pilot]. We completed drug and alcohol testing.[Chief Pilot] received a ramp video of the incident which we reviewed. We also walked back onto the ramp to look closer at the area.After seeing the incident video and walking around the ramp area; it became clear that the fuel truck was out of position and inside the safety zone. The red safety line in that area makes several turns; which had been blocked by the truck itself; and they are intermixed into various diagonal yellow lines. The proper configuration of the lines wasn't obvious to me as I turned the jet. That; combined with the all-clear signal from the wing walker led me into believing that all was clear and safe. We both thought that we were operating safely and taking care to navigate the dangerous ramp. We stopped and waited for the rampers to move a baggage cart; get into position and signal us to proceed forward to our parking spot. We both surveyed to gate area; and both believed it to be clear.I observed the parked fuel truck; but from my perspective I thought it to be clear of the safety area. The wing walker was near the truck and gave me the clear signal. At the time; I was apparently confused by all the yellow lines on the ground; and the red line with its turns and angles next to the truck. I certainly would have stopped the jet had I been in doubt or instructed by the ramp crew.I will double down on verifying that the gate area is safe and clear.Even when you think a gate area is clear; it's not always.Ramp and service vehicles are parked everywhere. The gate areas are very congested; and markings can be confusing and/or obscured. When a vehicle is parked within an aircraft's safety zone it would be helpful if there was an obvious signal either on the vehicle or in the area while the vehicle is there. This is especially true; when the intrusion is 'just too close'. While a truck on the center line is obvious; one just a few inches over the line is not. Maybe a traffic cone; tethered to the truck; which is placed in the safety zone?Better training for ramp personnel; to include surveying the safety zone; closely examining anything that looks close; and looking at the wing tips and the area of movement.Even though I believed my jet clear of any obstruction; it wasn't; and I take responsibility for that. I will continue to improve my diligence for safe operation.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.